The preferred method to garner free air time is a public service type of event. A panel is convened to look at some issue. The podium comes out. Experts speak, happy to have a forum. The politicians arrive to show their concern. It's a made for TV event.

Do they get covered? Indeed they do. Very much so.

However, we do try to slog past the political overtones, the faux outrage, the dramatic furrowed brows... and get to the heart of the issue. I ask myself the questions: What's really important here? Why do people care?

The media event is not a new phenomenon. Some politicians are really good about it. Others are transparently bad.

In the general scheme of things, it's no big deal. It's been happening since Marconi invented radio and Farnsworth invented television.